The role of A.S. Shishkov in censorship: combating "foreign influence" in literature and the press

this article examines the role of A.S. Shishkov in the Russian censorship apparatus, specifically focusing on the reflection of his campaign against "foreign influence" in literature and the press. The author's analysis centers on the implementation of the censorship policy orchestrated by Shishkov, interpreting his activities as a deliberate project aimed at safeguarding traditional institutions through stringent control over education, publishing, and language. The study concludes that A.S. Shishkov was the primary initiator and ideologue behind the tightening of the censorship regime. His conceptual framework, grounded in the triad of "Orthodoxy, Autocracy, and Nationality" (Народность), was designed to consolidate society around traditional values and neutralize the impact of liberal and revolutionary ideas. Shishkov's endeavours laid the groundwork for the ideological policy of the Nicholas I era, exerting a substantial influence on the development of domestic culture and education. The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the transformation of the Russian Empire's censorship policy during this period through the lens of A.S. Shishkov's activities. The research objectives include: tracing the evolution of censorship policy in the Russian Empire; identifying the causes and prerequisites for the hardening of censorship measures; and analysing the content and practical consequences of the implementation of the 1826 "Iron Code" (Chugunny Ustav). The practical significance of the study lies in its precise definition of Shishkov's role in censorship and its identification of the specific instruments employed by the Admiral to advance his censorial agenda.

censorship, censorship policy, the French language, A.S. Shishkov, conservatism, Gallomania, Ministry of Public Education, censorship bodies, state